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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: nail · stem · capital · fall · bore · temple · patient · trunk

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to tire
  6. stem — to come from
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. fall — the season
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. capital — money
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. capital — a city
  19. bore — to drill
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fall — to drop
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com